Perceptions of distributive justice and public attitudes towards government welfare responsibility in China: moderating role of urban-rural and regional difference

Abstract

ABSTRACT While current research mainly focuses on the social justice of contemporary people, it lacks attention to generational contradictions and distributive justice. This article analyses how citizens’ perceptions of distributive justice shape public attitudes towards government welfare responsibility in China. Using China General Social Survey data in 2015, it found that people upholding strong perception of intergenerational justice hold positive attitudes towards government responsibility for welfare provision, while people with strong perception of intragenerational justice are less supportive. Besides, intragenerational justice could mediate the effect of intergenerational justice on public attitudes towards government welfare responsibility. Furthermore, it reveals profound urban-rural and regional difference could moderate the effects of citizen’s perception of intergenerational justice and intragenerational justice on public attitudes. These findings indicate that a more unified welfare system should be established, and expand the spatial boundaries of social justice for both the present and future generations.